This article provides a thoughtful analysis of procrastination, hesitation, and the psychological barriers that prevented four potential writers from starting their creative journeys.
This article provides a thoughtful analysis of procrastination, hesitation, and the psychological barriers that prevented four potential writers from starting their creative journeys.
They each had the desire to express their thoughts in writing. They proved that with their detailed emails to me. They expressed their thoughts well, and their ideas were a benefit to anyone who listened to them.
So, I suggested that they apply their talents by writing articles about their views online, where they could earn revenue for their content.
They all showed great interest in pursuing that endeavor, so I provided them with information to help them get started. To my surprise, none of them ever went beyond the first step.
Find out what went wrong with these four examples (the names have been changed for privacy).
I’ll discuss the following points about each individual to discover why they were not determined to work on the process:
Randy worked part-time for his brother-in-law and had free time for other creative pursuits. He always put a great deal of time into writing extensive emails telling me about his thoughts and feelings about experiences he had from time to time.
I have always believed that his stories could benefit others, since he suggested strategies people can use in their everyday lives.
I felt he could slightly modify the stories he writes as fictional short stories with a twist that could provide helpful tips for handling life's struggles.
He seemed interested but wanted to know how well one of his stories would perform. So I agreed to publish one of his stories as a fictional short story to see how readers respond to it.
It attracted significant Google traffic due to having relevant keywords that people had searched for online.
I thought that would motivate him, but he explained that he didn’t want to post anything online because he is a very private person. That certainly puts an end to any further consideration.
Result: When one needs to be a private person, they will never be able to make anything of themselves with the talent or creativity they have within them. Those characteristics one may have will merely go to waste.
Jason was a retired security guard, working a part-time job to continue earning income, but he had a lot of free time since he was retired.
He always comes up with clear-headed discussions about life, and his deliberations would be of value to people searching for such topics online.
He attended a writer’s group I organized many years ago and seemed interested in pursuing a writing career. I mentioned how he could have been a therapist instead of a security guard because he had a keen sense of social and emotional issues with people.
However, once he began exploring the idea of writing, he felt it was too burdensome to put his thoughts into written form. So that ended it, and he never considered it again.
Result: Professional writing is a business. It can’t be achieved when one feels it’s too burdensome. If that’s the attitude, it’s best to consider simpler passive professions.
Shana is a woman who has difficulty holding jobs. I can see that her issue is the unwillingness to take orders. Therefore, she is better suited to create her own business. She is well-educated and writes articulately.
She also always had a lot to say — things that I imagine people will want to follow, even though I don’t always agree with her views. But that’s okay.
Here is what I told her:
“The types of things you experience in your life, the understanding you have about the consequences of your actions, and the way you express yourself in your emails make me confident that you can succeed as a writer. People who go through the same trials and tribulations want to read about it to learn what they need to do.”
That aroused her interest, so I gave her ideas for getting started. However, she never followed up.
I think she’s embarrassed about her lack of desire to proceed because she never mentioned it again, and I don’t bother her about it.
It’s sad because I feel she has a lot to share, and her readers would want to follow her.
Result: Motivation is one of the most crucial factors towards success with writing. Without that, it’s nearly impossible to get started.
Christina is the young daughter of a friend who is still in school. I have observed her development since her birth.
She quickly gained a mind of her own and displayed intelligent choices. She expressed interest in writing because she saw what I was doing.
She found many interests that she became involved with, and is a great achiever among all her classmates. Based on all that, she displays the ability to be very successful as a writer.
She loved to read, so I often gave her books, and she always expressed appreciation.
She knows I am a writer, and one day her Mom told me she wanted me to help her get started writing online as I do. Therefore, I emailed her details with instructions on submitting articles for publication on a content platform.
The years went by, and she never mentioned any interest in it again.
Result: I can only imagine she takes after her Mom, who has psychological barriers to following up with anything important.
People often have many practical ideas in their heads that can be useful to others, either for educational or entertainment purposes.
Being a writer demands much more from one's personality. It requires deep passion and motivation, along with a strong desire to share one’s thoughts with humanity. Is this true for you?
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